Earthquakes under a volcano near Alaska's largest city raise concerns

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An increase in the number of earthquakes beneath a volcano near Alaska's largest city this year has sparked the interest of geologists.

Spur Mountain, about 80 miles (129 kilometers) northwest of Anchorage, last erupted in 1992, spewing a cloud of ash 12 miles (19 kilometers) into the air, forcing flights to be canceled and people to wear masks. . According to the Alaska Volcano Observatory, another eruption of the 11,100-foot (3,383-meter) stratovolcano could cause severe damage to the city.

The observatory raised Mount Spur's alert status in October – from green to yellow – when an increase in seismic activity became apparent and ground deformation was detected in satellite data. Observatory scientist David Fee said on Friday that about 1,500 small earthquakes occurred under the volcano this year, compared to about 100 earthquakes in a normal year.

While that may seem like a lot, it's “not a huge amount,” V. said. It may be a precursor to a volcanic eruption – or it may not. Similar seismic disturbances occurred from 2004 to 2006 before subsiding without an eruption.

“We don't see any significant change in our data that would tell us that an eruption is imminent,” Fee said. “Things have been kind of low-level disruption for a while and we are of course monitoring it closely to detect any changes and what that might mean.”

Scientists monitor seismic stations, global satellite and webcam data for additional changes that would indicate an impending eruption. If magma is moving closer to the surface, there will be increased earthquakes, ground deformations, and the creation of a summit lake or fumarole, which are vents that open in the surface to vent gas and vapors.

The volcano last erupted in 1992 from Crater Peak, located about 2 miles (3 kilometers) south of the summit. The eruption dropped about a quarter-inch of ash in Anchorage that year, forcing residents to stay inside or go outside wearing masks, and the cloud drifted as far as Greenland.

A similar eruption from the same vent occurred in 1953. The last known eruption from the summit was more than 5,000 years ago.

Volcanic ash is angular and sharp and has been used as an industrial abrasive. Crushed rock can shut down a jet engine, forcing Anchorage and other nearby airports to close during the 1992 eruption.

Airport closures are always an inconvenience in a state with few roads, but they can be more than just an inconvenience. Business will also be affected since today's Anchorage airport is among the busiest cargo hubs in the world along with Memphis, Hong Kong and Shanghai, mainly due to Alaska's proximity to Asia.

Mount Spurr, located on the volcanic Ring of Fire, is one of 53 volcanoes in Alaska that have been active in the past 250 years.

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